Air TransportVietjet receives first Boeing 737 MAX 8 amid US-Vietnam milestone
Vietnamese carrier Vietjet Air officially received its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 in a ceremony held in Seattle, United States, on September 21. The event coincided with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic normalization between Vietnam and the US and marks the initial delivery of a 200-aircraft purchase agreement valued at approximately US$25 billion.
The delivery ceremony was attended by Luong Cuong, president of Vietnam, along with key executives from Vietjet and Boeing. The contract, signed nearly a decade ago, represents one of the largest commercial aircraft orders placed by an airline in Southeast Asia.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 joins Vietjet’s fleet as the first of a series of deliveries scheduled for the coming years. According to company statements, the new aircraft is expected to support the airline’s ongoing network expansion, particularly on routes within Southeast Asia.
The 737-8 is configured to accommodate single-aisle operations with enhanced fuel efficiency and range compared to previous generation models.
Both Vietjet’s chairwoman, Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, and Stephanie Pope, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, emphasized the significance of the partnership and its potential impact on regional connectivity.
The addition of the 737 MAX 8 is expected to help Vietjet meet growing demand in the regional aviation market.
Vietnam’s private airline previously had an exclusive fleet of Airbus jets and recently wet-leased C909 aircraft from China’s COMAC.
In June, during the Paris Air Show, VietJet signed a memorandum of understanding for 100 A321neos, with the option to add 50 more aircraft in the future. Since then, the aircraft manufacturer and the carrier have not announced a final agreement for the jets.
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